You're positing that some significant portion of the victims decide to settle like this: if (shame) But it's almost certainly this: if (bankruptcy_risk || sh

You're positing that some significant portion of the victims decide to settle like this: if (shame) But it's almost certainly this: if (bankruptcy_risk || shame) History of RIAA settlements-- where prudishness wasn't a factor-- supports my interpretation. Furthermore, savings held by the average American supports short-circuiting on bankruptcy_risk and not the other way around. Edit: clarification